Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair »

JAMES E. PERONE is Associate Professor of Music at Mount Union College. He is the author of several books on music, including Music of the Counterculture Era and Songs of the Vietnam Conflict.

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair that took place in upstate New York from August 15-18, 1969 has become an icon of the 1960s counterculture. Perone (Mount Union College), who teaches courses on popular American music, puts the landmark event in context by discussing festivals that preceded it, the logistics that went into the free concerts, and the audience's free-wheeling behavior. Illustrated A-Z entries cover all aspects of the festival. The volume includes chapters on Woodstock '94 and Woodstock 1999, an annotated bibliography, and appended material on the festival's set acts and media legacy. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

Previously in Greenwood's "American History Through Music" series, Perone (music, Mount Union Coll.) wrote Music of the Counterculture Era. Now he tells us everything we ever wanted to know about the Woodstock music festivals, beginning with a selective history of rock music festivals then continuing with the well-known 1969 event, detailing its planning, profiling the audience, and providing an hour-by-hour account of the performances. He then moves to the 1994 and 1999 revivals, paying special attention to the violence that marred the latter outing. More than 60 pages are devoted to brief, paragraph-long biographies of the performers, organizers, and other aspects of the original Woodstock festivities, arranged in alphabetical order. Among these entries are Jimi Hendrix, Michael Langer, and the Concerned Citizens Committee. Perone ends with appendixes that include set lists from the performances at the three Woodstocks, recordings and films about the events, and an annotated bibliography. Bottom Line Though writing primarily for academics and informed fans, Perone has compiled a useful and exhaustive handbook/history to an important symbol of American social and music history; it appears to be the only resource of its kind. Recommended for strong reference collections. [Perone is an LJ music reviewer.-Ed.]-Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.